Prematurity Awareness Month

Thursday, November 01, 2012
Statewide
Statewide
New York, NY 00000

The Empire State Building will Light Purple for World Prematurity Day – November 17 Worldwide, 15 million babies are born preterm and more than a million die as a result. Babies who survive often have lifelong health problems such as cerebral palsy, vision and hearing loss, and intellectual disabilities.

Premature birth is a very serious health problem for babies across the globe, with no country unaffected. It is the leading cause of newborn death in the United States, where 1 in 8 babies is born too soon (U.S. Map of Report Card Grades). This translates to over 30,000 babies right here, in New York State alone. See New York's most recent grade on our PREMATURE BIRTH REPORT CARD.  Raising awareness of premature birth is the first step to defeating it.

To help, join the March of Dimes for Prematurity Awareness Month^® this November. The month is an opportunity to draw attention to the problem and the millions of babies and families it touches.

November 17 is World Prematurity Day, when the March of Dimes and our global partners show how widespread premature birth is. Join the global community at facebook.com/worldprematurityday. Read stories from around the world and add your own story to the map. Update your status or even your cover photo to help get the word out.

Thank you for your support!

List of Recognition Events and Activities in Your Community (PDF)

Premature Birth Infographic (PDF)

For more information CLICK HERE!